I-CAR celebrates 30th anniversary by looking to future

As I-CAR enters its 30th year of existence, the organization has conducted an outreach program to re-engage with the collision industry and set a course for the future.

In an interview with Automotive Body Repair News, Jeff Peevy, I-CAR director of field operations, presented an overview of where the organization is headed as it conducts its 30th Annual Industry Conference in Washington, D.C.

"Over the past 18 months we underwent a purposeful endeavor to get re-engaged with the collision industry, and in doing so we have collected a tremendous amount of information about what the information should be and what types of products and services the industry wants from us," Peevy says. "The industry really got our attention and said, 'This is what you need to be for us.'"

I-CAR senior management developed a list of acknowledgements based on the feedback they gathered. Among them:

• I-CAR belongs to the collision repair industry;
• it must stay engaged with the industry;
• it must solicit and receive comprehensive direction from the industry segments served;
• it must confirm interpretation that the feedback is accurate;
• it must respond to feedback precisely to provide for the needs of the industry; and
• this response must be timely, relevant, efficient, at the lowest cost possible and effective.

As a result gathering feedback and comments from the Industry Segment Advisory Councils, regular surveys, reviews of customer issues, the International Advisory Committee, and input from its volunteers, instructors and Gold Class Professionals and Platinum Individual Advisory Council, I-CAR was able to develop a number of new products.

"We used those same groups as a sounding board when we went back to confirm our interpretation of what they'd told us," Peevy says. "We didn't want to squander a single dollar in an effort that was not going in the right direction."

Based on the information gathered, I-CAR began offering courses on hybrid electric and alterative fuel vehicles, waterborne products and cycle time improvements. The group also plans to launch new courses in August covering collision repair for select high-volume vehicles, and vehicle technology and trends for 2010. The latter will cover features and technologies that distinguish newer models from older vehicles, outside influences that contribute to the changes in vehicle technology, and a review of innovations such as high-strength steels, hydroforming, park-assist systems and collision avoidance systems.

"The response from the industry to these new training programs has been monumental," Peevy says. "We are seeing some extremely positive things happening both to the organization as a whole as well as to the training programs specifically that have been developed throughout the process."

Moving forward, Peevy said that I-CAR will continue to engage all segments of the industry for direction and guidance, and will continue to seek ways to improve the process.

The group also is working with all industry segments, including the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, to develop an Advance Professional Matrix that organizes and recognizes industry training, certifications and qualifications based on job roles and tasks.

The goal of the matrix is "to deliver purposeful training and certifications specific to the skills and knowledge identified to perform each job position, thus encouraging individuals and companies to focus on professional growth and improved performance."

"We have been encouraged by the level of industry interest in this project," Peevy says. "A number of groups have developed committees specific to this work to provide direction and feedback."